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A critical discourse analysis of Nelson Mandela University’s Facebook page: a case of transformational communication

  • Authors: Ndayi, Viwe
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Facebook (Electronic resource) , Online social networks Internet marketing Communication in management Nelson Mandela University Metropolitan University -- Communication
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/32815 , vital:32366
  • Description: The South African Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) calls for all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to develop, execute and establish strategies for achieving transformed racial truths - inside and outside the classroom. In HEIs, the social media platform, and most particularly, Facebook, is increasingly being used as a platform to critically and rigorously engage students and universities. The study presents Facebook as a social media platform that can contribute towards the transformation agenda. To illustrate this, the Nelson Mandela University was used as a single case study. Using a qualitative research approach, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was used to analyse the Facebook posts that were shared by the university in 2015. This was done in consideration of the national Higher Education transformation themes, the university’s Vision 2020 strategic goals, as well as the university’s values. It was found that the institution partially uses the platform to address transformation. In addition to this, it was found that race representation for posts relating to excellence, student recruitment and protests reinforce race-based stereotypes. To address the gaps, the study recommends that the university includes posts that enhance engagement, race literacy, and race representation. The study contributes to the developing literature on the use of social media towards race transformation in South African HEIs.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A critical discourse analysis of the construction of adolescent-friendly services within training documents used by the National Adolescent-friendly Clinic Initiative in South Africa

  • Authors: Ferrucci, Daniella
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Discourse analysis Teenagers Reproductive health
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSoc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12722 , vital:39315
  • Description: The objective of this study was to critically explore the construction of adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health and services within the South African National Adolescent-Friendly Clinic Initiative (NAFCI), by examining the training manuals and information booklets used to train the health service providers working within this programme. This was completed through the use of Foucauldian discourse analysis (FDA) and positioning theory. FDA was used to look for themes or discourses that emerged in the text, and to examine the role that power and language played in the talk around adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Positioning theory was used to explore the manner in which the young woman and health service provider were positioned within the documents, and the implications this had in relation to sexual and reproductive health and services. The discourses that emerged included discourses of risk, namely the “adolescent-in-transition” and the “sex-as-danger-and-disease” discourse; followed by the empowering discourse, the discourse of rights and responsibility, expert advice, and management and surveillance. These discourses generally depicted adolescent sexual and reproductive health in a mostly negative and problematic manner, which needed to be managed and governed by the more powerful and dominant medical expert. These discourses also positioned the young woman and the health care provider in contradictory ways. The young woman was either positioned as risk-seeking and problematic, due to her sexual behaviour, leaving her vulnerable in terms of her health and power; or she was positioned in a positive, healthy and responsible light. The health service provider was also positioned in contradictory ways. First she was positioned as an advisor and expert, due to her knowledge and skills; but then her position shifts into that a problem and a hindrance to accessing sexual and reproductive health services. The implications of these discourses serve to make sexual and reproductive healthcare a problem located within the individual. It fails to acknowledge the structural imbalances that are known to South Africa, but rather tries to construct it as a problem that needs to be managed by placing responsibility on the young woman and the health service providers.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A critical discourse analysis of the Daily Nation and the Standard’s news coverage of the 2007/2008 Kenyan elections

  • Authors: Bradfield, Sarah-Jane
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Elections -- Kenya Nairobi (Kenya) -- Newspapers Mass media -- Political aspects -- Kenya Kenya -- Politics and government , Discourse analysis Daily Nation (Nairobi, Kenya) Standard (Nairobi, Kenya)
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63437 , vital:28411
  • Description: This study investigates the Daily Nation and Standard’s news coverage of Kenya’s 2007/2008 general election and the unprecedented eruptions of violence which followed. This research responds to the question which came about as Kenyan print journalists and editors considered their role in possibly contributing to the violence, which took on an ethnic dimension. Vernacular radio has been fingered for having escalated longstanding ethnic tensions, but the role of the press has not been fully understood. In the aftermath of the violence, print journalists and editors met over a series of Round Table events in Nairobi to consider whether their conduct during the election could have encouraged violence. Although ten years have passed since this incidence, much of what happened within the Kenyan print media during and after the 2007/2008 general election remains unexplored and, largely, unexplained today. Although the pre- and post-election phases spanned months, my research is confined to purposive samples from a four-week period from 3 December 2007 to 4 January 2008. These four weeks were selected as they are roughly representative of the three phases of the national election which are considered significant to this study, namely the pre-election phase, the election, and the post-election violence. The research is concerned with analysing and understanding the coverage in the two dailies, the Daily Nation and Standard, and comparing the discursive work of the two, particularly in relation to identity and ethnicity. This study draws on cultural studies, critical discourse analysis and normative theories of the media to inform the research project. The critical discourse analysis explores the discourses articulated during and after the election, with a particular focus on issues of identity, ethnicity and incitement. Through this process the study found that both publications avoided references to ethnicity, despite this being an important factor in Kenyan politics and voter behaviour. In analysing these issues the study found that while the publications might claim to attempt to avoid fuelling tensions by not reporting on ethnicity, the disavowal comprised a silence which positioned the press in a collaborative role, in which it colluded with a powerful Kenyan state. Although a significant amount of time has gone by since the 2007/2008 elections, this study still considers the event significant in understanding the conduct of journalists during times of violence, and specifically for the future of journalism in Kenya.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A critical examination of the regulation of fixed term employment services under South African Labour Laws

  • Authors: Faku, Xolisa
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17316 , vital:40937
  • Description: South Africa is the most unequal society on the planet, overwhelming Brazil, with a critical increment in wage inequalities. In a quest to reduce unemployment, this research is at the focal point of our nation's activity emergency. In any case, there ought to be components to ensure representation against oppressive work rehearses. The Labour Relations Act denoted a noteworthy change in South Africa's statutory modern relations framework. Following the progress to political majority rule government, the LRA embodied the new government's means to remake and democratize the economy and society as connected in the work relations field. Specifically, it presented new organizations went for giving managers and labourers a chance to break with the serious adversarialism that portrayed their relations before. In extending the equitable change, the Labour Relations Act which offered ascend to the foundation of the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) appeared on 18 February 1995, in an offer to add authenticity and straightforwardness to the financial basic leadership process. This research will investigate the law representing fixed term employment in South Africa. It will further give an investigation of the legitimate framework of fixed term representative keeping in mind the end goal to decide if it advances not too bad work in South Africa. This investigation intends to call attention to any substantive and procedural imperfections that might be accessible in the law. The study will likewise be taking the potential lessons which can be gained from different nations with comparative Fixed-term work challenges i.e. Namibia. This implies the examination will survey the current zone of law and propose an alternate approach. This will be finished by investigating important case law and enactments which secure settled term business. In certainty, the investigation intends to give new point of view regarding the matter of fixed term work and proffer a few changes to the law.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A critical review of the penalty provisions of the Tax Administration Act

  • Authors: Mavundla, Dineo Shaleen
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: South Africa -- Tax Administration Act, 2011 , Tax administration and procedure Taxation -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31808 , vital:31847
  • Description: In previous years SARS faced a challenge of imposing additional taxes and penalties consistently. The Tax Administration Act (TAA) was introduced in order to consolidate the administrative provisions of the various taxation acts and to consistently apply penalty provisions that were previously included in, amongst others, section 75B and 76 of the Income Tax Act and section 60 of the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act. The penalty provisions are contained in chapter 15, 16 and 17 of the TAA. These penalty provisions now apply to all tax types, excluding customs and excise. It could be said that the tax system in South Africa is based on an honesty policy. Taxpayers are expected to submit accurate returns. The main purpose of the penalties is to ensure the accuracy of the returns submitted and to avoid loss to the fiscus. The principle found in ITC 14891 is "a relevant factor in the assessment of a penalty is the loss occasioned to the fiscus.". This study critically analyses the administrative non-compliance penalties contained in chapter 15 and the understatement penalties in chapter 16 of the TAA. This was done through literature and case law (where appropriate), to determine what the legislature intends and to test the provisions against the Constitution and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA). It was found that the introduction of the penalty provisions in the TAA have not completely brought about consistency in the application of the penalties. It was 1 ITC 1489 53 SATC 99 at 108. also found that there were instances where penalty provisions were applied incorrectly, either by the system or by tax officials, which consequently added to taxpayers’ administrative burden. The current study proposes this as an unfair application of the penalty provisions as it deviates from the intention of the legislature.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A critique of language policy and implementation strategies used in selected institutions of higher learning in South Africa

  • Authors: Somlata, Zakhile
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Language policy South Africa , Translanguaging (Linguistics) , Language and education South Africa , Language and languages Study and teaching South Africa , Education, Higher South Africa , Multilingualism South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62571 , vital:28208
  • Description: This thesis evaluated the language policy implementation strategies used in selected universities of South Africa. The Constitution of the Republic of South African (1996) recognises eleven official languages, namely: English, Afrikaans, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Sepedi, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. These official languages should enjoy the parity of esteem in all domains. The language practices are very important in the education of students at all levels of education but this study focuses on the language policy implementation in universities. Most universities of South Africa have their language policies but the dilemma is on the implementation of those language policies. The overarching aim of this study is to evaluate how university use language policy for access and success of the students and to assess the language policy implementation strategies, monitoring and evaluation. The language is central to the success of the students and this study further investigated to what extent are the universities use the linguistic repertoires of the students in their education. This study is rooted in orientations of language planning: Language as problem, language as right and language as resource (Ruiz, 1984). This thesis employed a mixed methods approach (qualitative and quantitative method) with convergent parallel design. The data was collected from eleven universities of South Africa and the participants in each university were the "Key informants" (experts and insiders) which comprised of member of Executive Management, a member of the Institutional Language Committee and a language lecturer; and a cohort of forty third year students. The Key informants participated in the qualitative data collection through the structured interviews. The forty third year students participated in the quantitative data collected through survey questionnaires. The language policy documents of the universities were also sampled to get a better understanding of the real language practices and the language policy. The thematic analysis was used to analyse transcripts that were developed from the interviews, data from the students was analysed through descriptive and inferential analyses with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) as a statistical test and document analysis was used to analyse the language policies; The findings show that universities have commitment to access of the students to institutions of Higher Education. The success of the students is being thwarted by the monolingual approach where most of the universities use English only as the medium of instruction. The monolingual approach negatively affects the academic success and excellent academic performance of the majority of students. The findings show that there is high demand from the students that the course materials should be provided in African languages. All selected universities have their language policy which is something positive but most of them are outdated because they need to be reviewed at least after five years. The findings demonstrate that most universities lack the language policy implementation plans. The nonexistence of the language policy implementation plan adversely affects the implementation of the language policy. The study recommends that universities should provide the learning resources in African languages to meet the demands of the students. To maximise the success, students should be examined in any official languages of the university. The language policy implementation plans should be developed urgently so as to improve language policy implementation in universities. , Le thesisi iphonononge iindlela zokusetyenziswa komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi kwiiyunivesithi ezichongiweyo zaseMzantsi Afrika. Umgaqo-siseko waseMzantsi Afrika (1996) athathela ingqalelo iilwimi ezisemthethweni ezilishumi elinanye, isiNgesi, isiBhulu, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, SiSwati, Tshivenda neXitsonga. Ezi lwimi zisemthethweni zifanele ukuba zisetyenziswe ngokulinganayo kuzo zonke iinkalo. Ukusetyenziswa kweelwimi kubalulekile kakhulu kwimfundo yabantwana kuwo onke amanqanaba emfundo kodwa olu phando lugxile ekusetyenzisweni komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi kwiiyunivesithi. Uninzi lweeyunivesithi zinayo imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi kodwa ingxaki isekusetyenzisweni kwaloo migaqo-nkqubo yolwimi. Ezona njongo zolu phando kukuphonononga ukuba iiyunivesithi ziyisebenzisa njani na imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi ukuze abafundi bafikelele kwaye baphumelele ezifundweni kwakhona nokugocagoca izicwangciso zokusetyenziswa komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi nokuhlola ukusebenza kwezo zicwangciso. Ulwimi ngundoqo kwimpumelelo yabafundi kwaye umyinge wokusetyenziswa kweelwimi zabafundi ekufundeni kwabo kuthe kwaphandwa. Esi sifundo sisekelwe kwiindlela zocwangciso-lwimi: Ulwimi njengengxaki, ulwimi njengelungelo nolwimi njengesixhobo (Ruiz, 1984). Le thesisi esebenzise indlela yophando entlantlu-mbini (eyobunjani neyobungakanani) kunye noyilo lwendibaniso kokunxuseneyo. Idatha yathi yaqokelelwa kwiiyunivesithi ezilishumi elinanye eMzantsi Afrika kwaye abathabathi nxaxheba babandakanya ilungu lesigqeba solawulo, ilungu lekomiti yeelwimi eyunivesithi nomhlohli wolwimi; kunye nabafundi abakunyaka wesithathu kwizifundo zabo kwiyunivesithi nganye. Idatha yaqokelelwa kubadlulisi-lwazi abaphambili beeyunivesithi ngodliwano-ndlebe oluqingqiweyo. Abafundi abalishumi elinesine bathi bathabathi inxaxheba kuqokelelo lwedatha ngokuthi bagcwalise uludwe lwemibuzo eyayicwangcisiwe. Umaxwebhu omgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi athi achongwa ukuze kubekho ukuqondakala phakathi kokusetyenziswa kolwimi kunye nokumgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi. Uhlalutyo ngokomxholo lwathi lwasetyenziswa ukuhlalutya ulwazi olwabhalwayo luvela kudliwano-ndlebe olwashicilelwayo, idatha eyayisuka kubafundi yathi yahlalutywa ngokusebenzisa uhlalutyo ngokwenkcazelo nangokuthelekelela kunye neStatistical Pakage for Social Sciences (SPSS) njengesixhobo senkcukacha-manani kwaye uhlalutyo loxwebhu lwathi lwasetyenziswa ukuhlalutya imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi. Iziphumo zibonakalisa ukuba iiyunivesithi zizibophelele ekufikelelekeni kwabafundi kumaziko emfundo ephakamileyo. Impumelelo yabafundi ithi ithityazwe kukusetyenziswa kolwimi olunye apho uninzi lweeyunivesithi zisebenzisa isiNgesi kuphela njengolwimi lokufunda nokufundisa. Ukusetyenziswa kolwimi olunye kuthi kuchaphazela gwenxa impumelelo yabafundi nokuqhuba ngcono ezifundweni. Iziphumo zibonakalisa ukuba kukho imfuno emmandla kubafundi yokuba izixhobo zokufunda nokufundisa zifumaneke nangeelwimi zesiNtu. Inyathelo elihle lelokuba zonke iiyunivesithi ezichongiweyo zinayo imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi kodwa imigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi emininzi midala kuba ifanelwe ukuba iphononongwe emva kweminyaka emihlanu ubuncinane. Iziphumo zibonakalisa ukuba iiyunivesithi azinazo izicwangciso zokusetyenziswa kwemigaqo-nkqubo yolwimi. Ukungabikho kwesicwangciso sokusetyenziswa komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi kuchaphazela gwenxa ukusetyenziswa kwawo. Olu phando lundulula ukuba iiyunivesithi zifanele ukuba zibonelele ngezixhobo zokufunda nokufundisa ezingeelwimi zesiNtu ukukhawulelana neemfuno zabafundi. Ukwandisa impumelelo, abafundi kufanele ukuba bavavanywe ngalo naluphi na ulwimi olusemthethweni lweyunivesithi. Izicwangciso zokusetyenziswa komgaqo-nkqubo wolwimi zifanele ukuba ziveliswe njengenyewe engxamisekileyo ukuze kuphuculwe ukusetyenziswa kwemigaqo- nkqubo yolwimi kwiiyunivesithi.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A critique of local government’s implementation of Free Basic Energy policy for Local Economic Development: The case of Duncan Village, Eastern Cape, South Africa

  • Authors: Masuku, Blessings
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Cost and standard of living Low-income consumers|
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Development Studies)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13664 , vital:39689
  • Description: This study rests on the arguments that access to electricity is very crucial in addressing the basic need for energy to low income households who are engaged in the informal sector as survivalist traders. This study investigated the energy struggles and survival strategies of informal businesses in Duncan Village to conduct business. The study has also presented major reasons why low income households in Duncan Village are involved in the informal sector business. Literature review and study findings reveal that low income households join the informal sector not by the desire and choice but rather as a survivalist strategy to earn a living; moreover, poverty and unemployment drives people to join the informal sector in an attempt to generate income for a livelihood. This study also laid more emphasis on the challenges faced by the informal business operators in Duncan Village, which include among others, lack of access to financial resources, clean energy, designated structures (shelter) to conduct business, harassment and confiscation of their commodities by municipal and government officials such as metro police. The study used a Qualitative method where structured interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Participants who participated in the study were selected using purposive sampling. A sample size of 40 participants was selected to participate in the study. This included 30 informal businesses that rely on energy to do their business; and 10 municipality administrators from Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. Data was analyzed using a content analysis method. Description of the study location, population dynamics, ethical consideration, limitations of the study has equally been presented. The study findings reveal that the informal sector continues to be ignored and excluded from inclusive policy reforms and support by government; this is despite its potential in contributing immensely in the local and national economic growth and development. The study recommends that government needs to restructure its policies and start focusing on investing in inclusive growth by empowering poor or vulnerable people to actively participate, in growing the economy through selfstanding businesses that will create employment opportunities and reduce poverty. There is also need of a broader reflection on the impact of the government‘s ―safety net package which can be done by assessing institutional arrangements in BCMM
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A critique of multilingualism in South Africa’s post-democratic parliament with particular reference to the use of selected minority languages

  • Authors: Masombuka, Elizabeth Lucy
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Multilingualism -- South Africa , Language policy -- South Africa , Language and languages -- Political aspects , Linguistic minorities -- South Africa , Linguistic rights -- South Africa , South Africa. Parliament (1994- ). Parliamentary Communication Services , Hansard Society Commission on the Communication of Parliamentary Democracy
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61984 , vital:28092
  • Description: Language is an essential tool in effecting transformation in a community, society as well as in a culturally diverse institution like the Parliament of South Africa. This study is undertaken to establish the progress made in the use of official languages in the Parliament of South Africa. This study critically looks at the use of eleven South African official languages by the Parliament of South Africa in its daily debates in ensuring transformation to a multilingual parliament. The focus of the study is on the publication of Hansard in all official languages, with specific reference to previously marginalised languages as declared by the Constitution. The study was done in the Language Service Section of the Parliament of South Africa. Firstly, the study looked at the History of Parliament and Hansard publications in relation to the sittings and debates of MP’s since the beginning of Parliament in South Africa. Secondly, a literature review was done on Language Policy implementation, monitoring and promotion of languages in South Africa. Review of legislative frameworks on language matters was undertaken in order to find out the compliance of parliament in using official languages in the publication of Hansard. The study evaluates the recognition of languages as well as the parliamentary in-House Language Policy (Operational Language Policy) in relation to the prescriptions of the Constitution. Findings of the study are indicated in chapter 5 of the thesis. The presentation of data comprises of the work experience of the languages practitioners in parliament, availability and critique of the Language Policy Operational Policy in Parliament, as well as findings in the published Hansard Volumes since the first parliament. The study further tries to look at challenges that hinder the use, and promotion of all languages in parliament, including the use of these languages in the publication of Hansard. The study focuses on minority languages and previously marginalised languages. Recommendations are provided as a means of helping to improve the situation regarding the implementation of the language policy that will assist parliament to transform in order to become truly multilingual. This will allow parliament to be in a position to develop previously marginalised languages.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A Cross-cultural analysis of the normative indicators of the Beck Depression Inventory II(BDI-II) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) amongst young adults in the Eastern Cape,South Africa

  • Authors: Fourie, Claire https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0255-204X
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Stress (Psychology) , Depression, Mental
  • Language: English
  • Type: Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25117 , vital:63979
  • Description: Mental illness rates are climbing, locally and globally. The World Health Organization (2001) has claimed that one in four people will be affected by a psychiatric disorder during their lifetime. With this in mind, there is an array of psychometric assessment measures that are used as tools to assist in the mental health care field. Two such measures are the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). These measures are used globally to assist with the diagnosis and treatment of depression and anxiety. However, in South Africa, a paucity of normative indicators exists. This research set out to determine if there are significant differences in performance on the BAI and BDI-II when comparing a sample from the Eastern Cape, South Africa, to the international norms. It was found that performances on the BAI between the local sample and the international sample did not differ significantly. The local sample, on average, performed 4.76 points lower on the BDI-II than those assessed in the international norms. A series of theoretical models are explored in elucidating the findings in this study. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2018
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A derivation of the the black-scholes equation using martingales

  • Authors: Nyarko , Ebenezer Narh
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Mathematical models
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/14572 , vital:40016
  • Description: This work focuses on the application of stochastic differential equations, with martingales, in finance. The emphasis is on the derivation of the Black-Scholes model for the valuation of options. A theoretical framework in stochastic analysis, together with Itô calculus (Kiyoshi Itô), is explored. The Girsanov Theorem is applied in order to transform a modelled stochastic equation based, on predetermined stock and bond prices, into equivalent martingale measures. A replication strategy is then adopted to solve the two equations analytically, by finding the natural logarithm of the expectation of the solution to the stochastic models. We finally compute the resulting solution based on a standard, normal distribution to get the desired outcome of the Black-Scholes model.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A Flexible Approach for the Application of Immersive Audio to an Installation Performance:

  • Authors: Devonport, Sean , Foss, Richard
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/426720 , vital:72385 , https://www.isea-international.org/symposia/1988-2022/
  • Description: This paper investigates the use of the ImmerGo spatial audio system and Ethernet AVB as a platform for the creation and deployment of immersive audio content. An analysis of Ethernet AVB and ImmerGo’s features is given. This is followed by a practical implementation of ImmerGo within an installation setting of a choreographed performance. This approach provided key features such as user control from a mobile device to render positions of audio tracks and control DAW transport. The Ethernet AVB network allowed for real-time synchronized audio streaming, audio device interoperability, distributed endpoint processing and simple audio routing schemes.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A formative intervention for developing Learner Representative Council (LRC) voice and leadership in a newly established school in Namibia

  • Authors: Amadhila, Linda
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: School management and organization -- Namibia , Educational leadership -- Namibia , Education, Secondary -- Namibia , Student government -- Namibia , Student participation in administration -- Namibia
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61744 , vital:28054
  • Description: In Namibian schools, learner voice and leadership are being promoted through the policy document entitled the Education Act 16 of2001 which provides an opportunity to establish Learner Representative Councils (LRCs) in secondary schools. However, recent studies have found that this body of learner leaders do not function all that effectively and sometimes exist for the sake of adhering to the policy. This prompted me to conduct an activity theoretical interventionist case- study within the critical paradigm, to develop LRC voice and leadership in a newly established Namibian school. Framed by Cultural Historical Activity Theory, the study was divided into two phases to answer the over-arching question: How can LRC voice and leadership be developed in a school? Phase one was largely interpretive, the contextual profiling phase, where document analysis, individual interviews, questionnaires and observations were used to generate data to answer the following research sub-questions: How is learner leadership understood in the school? What leadership development opportunities for the LRC currently exist in the school? What underlying factors constrain the development of LRC voice and leadership in the newly established school? Phase two of the study was the expansive learning phase, which consisted of three intervention workshops. The Change Laboratory method and a focus group interview were used to generate data in response to the last research sub-question: In what ways can LRC participation in a Change Laboratory process contribute to their leadership development? Data generated were inductively and deductively analysed, using the activity theoretical principles of contradictions and double stimulation. Data revealed that learner leadership was largely understood as managerial roles carried out by the LRC in the school. Unlike many schools in Namibia, this case-study school offered numerous leadership development opportunities for the LRC. The community networking events such as: School Exchange Programmes, Town Council breakfast and Junior Regional Council, were opportunities offered to the LRC to solicit information, exchange ideas and discuss matters of common interest with the LRCs of the fully established schools. However, there were a number of challenges that constrained LRC voice and leadership development, the major one being the fact that this was a newly established school. Of significance was that LRC participation in the Change Laboratory process contributed positively to the development of voice and leadership in learners. During this Change Laboratory process, the LRC developed a new artefact - the vision and mission statement of the school - this signified that the learners expansively transformed the object of their activity. Recommendations emerging out of the study included that the School Management Team see the ‘newly established’ status of the school as an opportunity for development, rather than a limitation, and therefore invite the LRC to participate in the different leadership practices as the school becomes established. A significant recommendation for school leadership research is to use the third generation of CHAT to expand the unit of analysis, in order to understand the leadership relations and power dynamics between multiple activity systems in schools as complex organisations.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A framework for aligning ICT service providers' products and services to the needs of SME customers

  • Authors: Mhlongo, Sizwe
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Small business -- Computer networks , Business enterprises -- information technology Consumer behavior
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31911 , vital:31861
  • Description: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have the potential to enhance economic growth and innovation, create jobs, and stimulate competition in the economy. However, SMEs face several challenges that influence their longevity, growth, and success. Information Communication Technology (ICT) adoption has the potential to alleviate some of these challenges faced by SMEs and to enhance their competitiveness. The adoption and use of ICT can bring benefits in terms of increasing their efficiency, innovation, growth and competitive advantages. However, SMEs are currently not taking full advantage of exploiting the potential of ICT products and services. Mostly, SMEs depend on the advice provided by their ICT service providers regarding the best ICT products and services they should adopt due to the lack of in-house ICT skills and capabilities. This treatise investigates the approach and critical success factors for ICT service providers to align their products and services to the needs of SMEs. To evaluate the conceptual framework that was proposed by this study based on the literature review, an empirical study was conducted among the SME respondents within the Gauteng province of South Africa. The questionnaire used for this study collected data to measure the SMEs’ perceptions on the availability, awareness, usage and the value added by the adoption of ICT products and services and the level of the satisfaction of the ICT needs of SMEs. The findings of this study indicate that gaps and misalignments exist between the ICT needs of SMEs and the ICT service providers’ products and services targeted to SMEs. The major discovery from the conducted empirical study revealed that ICT service providers mostly fulfil only the basic level needs of SMEs such as ICT infrastructure needs but do not fully address the higher level needs such as the digital transformation needs of SMEs. In conclusion, this study recommends that it is crucial for ICT services providers to align their products and services to the needs of SMEs in order to successfully target and market to the SME segment.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A framework for designing ambient assisted living services for disabled individuals

  • Authors: Kyazze, Michael
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Assistive computer technology , Computers and people with disabilities Self-help devices for people with disabilities People with disabilities -- Means of communication -- Technological innovations Communication devices for people with disabilities
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31240 , vital:31347
  • Description: Physically disabled individuals face a number of challenges when carrying out their everyday activities such as moving around, communicating with others, and their personal care. One way of overcoming these challenges is by using personal assistants. An alternative is to enable independence through assistive technology. This research aimed to investigate how physically disabled individuals experience these challenges, and how assistive technology can enable them to be more independent. In order to achieve the goal of this research, existing literature was reviewed on disability, assisted living, and interaction techniques. The literature study on disability identified some of the challenges faced by disabled individuals in their daily lives. In order to contextualize these challenges, interview studies with eighteen disabled individuals, and twelve personal assistants were carried out in Kampala, Uganda and Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The participants from both Uganda and South Africa were limited to those living in urban areas. The Ugandan participants noted that, whereas technology may assist their daily lives, their most essential needs are basic disability support aids such as wheelchairs and better long canes. This was in contrast with the South African participants, who have access to basic disability support aids. The South African participants identified their key needs as controlling an electronic environment without assistance, e.g. house lights, using a mobile phone, and using a computer without assistance. The interviews narrowed down the scope to focus on individuals with quadriplegia, specifically individuals who have limited hand use, but can comfortably speak and move their heads, and make gestures such as head shake and nod. Literature on assisted living technologies and frameworks, provided the technical foundation for the research. The literature review of interaction techniques identified a number of possible ways in which individuals with quadriplegia can interact with technology. An appropriate set of interaction techniques, namely head shake and nod, voice, and facial feature tracking were identified. Evaluations of the interaction techniques excluded head shake and nod, because of an inconsistency in detecting an individual’s head pose in different lighting conditions, when using a Microsoft Kinect. Voice and facial feature tracking using a standard computer camera were identified as the most suitable interaction techniques for this study. A framework for designing assisted living software services was developed. The framework allows disability researchers and solution developers to understand the needs of a given disability group, and design relevant solutions. To demonstrate that the proposed framework iii | P a g e addresses the main aim of this research, a prototype was developed that enables users to control smart lights (Phillips hue), a Smart TV (Samsung), and carry out basic navigation and webbrowsing on a computer. Users could interact with the software using voice and facial feature commands. A usability study was carried out with fifteen physically disabled individuals in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The results of the evaluation study were highly positive. The successful evaluation of the prototype provided empirical evidence that the proposed framework does assist in the design of relevant and useful software services, to meet the unique needs of physically disabled individuals.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A framework for financing public transport infrastructure in South Africa

  • Authors: Nobaza, Lwazi Bruce
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Local transit -- South Africa -- Finance , Urban transportation -- South Africa -- Finance Transportation and state -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22703 , vital:30059
  • Description: South African cities are faced with still challenges of economic and spatial exclusion due to the legacy of apartheid, growing need for housing opportunities, high transport costs, long commuting times between work and home, and poor integration of different modes of public transport. Although there is a strong association between public transport infrastructure investment and socio-spatial transformation, the current backlog of public transport infrastructure and the inability of public funds to address such backlog inhibit spatial transformation and socio-economic integration. Notably, public transport has a potential to expedite spatial transformation and social integration and also stimulate the economy but it is still underfunded. There are numerous alternative and innovative mechanisms that are applied internationally, that can help with financing of public transport infrastructure financing, but few or none have been applied in a South African context. The purpose of this study is to explore alternative funding mechanisms and provide a conceptual framework for that will ensure availability of finances that are critical for financing public transport infrastructure in South Africa. Literature review provides international best practices in the financing of public transport infrastructure that can be replicated in South Africa. This resulted in the identification of six independent variables, namely government funding, external financing, public private partnerships, risk management, property value capture and institutional environment and two intervening variables, namely feasibility and viability. These variables were then utilised to develop a conceptual framework with suggested hypotheses on the financing of public transport infrastructure in South Africa. Primary data was then statistically analysed to test the proposed conceptual framework and hypothesised relationships. The empirical study provides little evidence of significant relationships between dependent variables of the study, namely perceived success of financing public transport infrastructure in South Africa and the independent and intervening variables. However, the study highlights that feasibility and financial viability are preconditions for sustainable investments into public transport infrastructure. These can be only achieved in an investment climate with a conducive policy and legislative framework that does not only protect interests of various investors but also utilises government funding to leverage private sector finance. This will ensure that long term objectives spatial transformation of urban areas is achieved.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A framework for improving construction workers’ health and safety practices in Lagos, Nigeria

  • Authors: Kukoyi, Patricia Omega
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Construction industry -- Health aspects -- Lagos -- Nigeria , Industrial safety -- Lagos -- Nigeria Sustainable construction -- Lagos -- Nigeria
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30962 , vital:31235
  • Description: The construction sector is known for its poor health and safety (H&S) record. This situation contributes to the poor performance of construction projects and poor worker productivity. In view of this, the research was undertaken to improve workers’ H&S practices. This study determined how the systems thinking approach will mitigate unhealthy and unsafe construction practices in Lagos, Nigeria by developing interventions, and proposing a model for improved H&S practices. The study utilised a mixed research method approach. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used specifically the concurrent embedded method to obtain and analyse the data. The sample size for the quantitative study was 375 respondents and a total of 40 respondents were engaged in the qualitative study. The sample consisted of designers, contractors, clients, quantity surveyors, project managers, construction managers, supervisors, and construction workers (masons, carpenters, painters, roofers, electricians) based in Lagos, Nigeria. The findings reveal that there is inadequate consideration for H&S during the procurement of construction projects. Furthermore, the absence of H&S regulations relating to the construction sector was observed. Unsafe practices at construction sites in Nigeria can be attributed to this discovery. The study reveals that the regulatory system, the organisation, the individual and the work environment all have an impact on H&S work practices. Although the contractors are mainly responsible for H&S at construction sites, other construction stakeholders (such as clients, consultants, etc.) influence H&S practices. The findings highlight the need for the adoption of a holistic approach to facilitate improvement in H&S practices on construction sites. The research has contributed to the body of knowledge by developing a framework for improving workers’ H&S performance on construction sites.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A framework for malicious host fingerprinting using distributed network sensors

  • Authors: Hunter, Samuel Oswald
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Malware (Computer software) , Multisensor data fusion , Distributed Sensor Networks , Automated Reconnaissance Framework , Latency Based Multilateration
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60653 , vital:27811
  • Description: Numerous software agents exist and are responsible for increasing volumes of malicious traffic that is observed on the Internet today. From a technical perspective the existing techniques for monitoring malicious agents and traffic were not developed to allow for the interrogation of the source of malicious traffic. This interrogation or reconnaissance would be considered active analysis as opposed to existing, mostly passive analysis. Unlike passive analysis, the active techniques are time-sensitive and their results become increasingly inaccurate as time delta between observation and interrogation increases. In addition to this, some studies had shown that the geographic separation of hosts on the Internet have resulted in pockets of different malicious agents and traffic targeting victims. As such it would be important to perform any kind of data collection over various source and in distributed IP address space. The data gathering and exposure capabilities of sensors such as honeypots and network telescopes were extended through the development of near-realtime Distributed Sensor Network modules that allowed for the near-realtime analysis of malicious traffic from distributed, heterogeneous monitoring sensors. In order to utilise the data exposed by the near-realtime Distributed Sensor Network modules an Automated Reconnaissance Framework was created, this framework was tasked with active and passive information collection and analysis of data in near-realtime and was designed from an adapted Multi Sensor Data Fusion model. The hypothesis was made that if sufficiently different characteristics of a host could be identified; combined they could act as a unique fingerprint for that host, potentially allowing for the re-identification of that host, even if its IP address had changed. To this end the concept of Latency Based Multilateration was introduced, acting as an additional metric for remote host fingerprinting. The vast amount of information gathered by the AR-Framework required the development of visualisation tools which could illustrate this data in near-realtime and also provided various degrees of interaction to accommodate human interpretation of such data. Ultimately the data collected through the application of the near-realtime Distributed Sensor Network and AR-Framework provided a unique perspective of a malicious host demographic. Allowing for new correlations to be drawn between attributes such as common open ports and operating systems, location, and inferred intent of these malicious hosts. The result of which expands our current understanding of malicious hosts on the Internet and enables further research in the area.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A framework for managing the impact of information communication technology on employee well-being

  • Authors: Ackerman, Richard
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Work environment -- Psychological aspects , Work -- Technological innovations Employees -- Mental health Job stress Flextime
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21449 , vital:29523
  • Description: Employees who work with Information Communication Technology (hereafter referred to as ICT) face a risk in a rise of portable work. This in turn provides a means for employees to be connected to work, even when at home. Flexible work solutions and ability to work any hour of the week creates non-standard work schedules, which in turn can lead to a condition of work-a-holism. In most cases, this phenomena is driven by the belief that being constantly available to work demonstrates a devotion to one’s career and employer. The higher demands placed on employees, are in most cases at the expense of employees’ health, work-life balance and overall well-being. The primary objective of this study is therefore to establish whether the use of ICT outside of normal working hours affects employee well-being, as measured in terms of work-life balance. The second objective of this study is to provide the Target Company within the automotive component supply industry located in Port Elizabeth, in the Republic of South Africa, with a framework for managing the impact of ICT on employee well-being. The research paper has been prompted by the Target Company having recently introduced flexible working solutions for its employees. Research on the topic of alternative forms of work schedules, has shown flexible working arrangements gives employees more choice and control over where, when and by how much they work. Flexibility allows employees to actively shape their working conditions which helps them solve the demands of integrating personal life and work commitments. Whether management should encourage or permit the use of ICT amongst its employees to extend beyond normal working hours however remains unclear. In order to answer the research questions, this study has applied a quantitative, positivistic and deductive research based methodology. The approach applied within this study included conducting an extensive literature review on the effects of ICT use after hours on employee well-being. Thereafter using literature as a foundation, a measuring instrument was constructed in the form of an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was emailed to respondents to collect primary data, in order to measure the dependent and independent variables in terms of the hypothesised relationships. Testing of the variables followed, in order to establish whether the use of ICT use after hours negatively impacts employee well-being as measured in terms of work-life balance and stress. Secondly, the study set out to establish whether flexible working conditions linked to ICT use after hours negatively impacts on employee work-life balance. Thirdly, the relationship between physiological aspects such as age, gender and ethnicity were interrogated to establish an employees’ ability to adapt to changing work conditions, brought about as a direct result of ICT. Lastly, this study set out to establish which ICT tool (email, cellular phone, smartphone or other) has the highest impact on employee wellness. The data collection process yielded a sample of 103 respondents in middle and senior management levels of the Target Company, with 97% being recipients of employer provided ICT tools. These respondents represented the employees who are most likely to be affected by the phenomena under investigation. The survey data was captured and analysed using descriptive statistical techniques. The interpretation revealed aspects which formed the basis for managerial recommendations in the form of a proposed framework to manage the impact of ICT on employee well-being. The findings of the study found that the use of ICT outside of normal working hours has a negative influence on employee well-being as measured in terms of work-life balance and stress. The literature review findings were confirmed as supporting the statement that flexible working conditions linked to ICT use after hours having a positive influence on employee work-life balance. A further finding of the study was the confirmation of physiological aspects affects an employees’ ability to adapt to changing working conditions, thereby having a negative influence on employee work-life balance. Lastly, to the question of which ICT tool has the biggest impact on well-being, it was found that differing ICT tools (email, cellular, smartphone, or other) do not have a negative influence on employee wellness. These findings formed the basis for the recommendations in the form of a framework which has been proposed to manage the impact of ICT on employee well-being. The most pertinent aspect of the framework includes the employer communicating a well-defined ICT usage policy, which clearly outlines a standard operating procedure in relation to ICT use to all its employees. The findings furthermore propose that the employer should take the time to explain and train its employees as to what is considered acceptable and non-acceptable use of ICT devices, especially in relation to after hour use and leave absences from work. To ensure employee well-being, employees should be encouraged to implement defined time blocks for when they are available for work and when they are not. This can be applied through the act of switching off their ICT devices, which constitutes a boundary work tactic as an action in order to prevent work-related interruptions in the private sphere. While the employer can take described measures, it should also be noted that there is responsibility on the part of the employee to ensure personal wellness, including regular exercise, relaxation, and taking appropriate breaks when necessary. Moreover, employees can apply work and life boundary management techniques through the selective use of devices. By not applying automatic work email updates on ICT devices such as smart phones is yet another boundary management technique which can be utilised by employees. There are a range of practical suggestions which are proposed as a method to minimize the risk of ICT use on employee well-being within this research document. The above proposals have only served to highlight a select few aspects. While it is acknowledged that there are important advantages associated with the development and use of ICT, it is equally important to allow employees to recharge their batteries in the form of appropriate downtime to regain perspective, thus allowing the organisation to maintain its competitive advantage, with the well-being of its employees taken to heart.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A framework for selecting NoSQL Databases:a NetFlow use case

  • Authors: Rheeder, Leon Albertus
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Non-relational databases , Database management Information technology Computer science
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MIT
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/35061 , vital:33611
  • Description: Making decisions regarding technology is difficult for IT practitioners, especially when they lack formal guidance. Ad hoc decisions are prone to be influenced by biases. This research study specifically considered decisions regarding NoSQL. The primary objective of this study was to develop a framework that can assist IT practitioners with decisions regarding NoSQL technologies. An investigation into typical decision-making problems encountered when having to make technology-based decisions provided an understanding of the problem context. The application context was explored through a literature study of the four NoSQL families. This study produces a framework to assist IT practitioners in making decisions regarding technology. The framework comprises two models. Firstly, a weighted decision model combines several constructs, thereby providing a general method of making decisions. Secondly, a 6-step process model that can be used to adapt the weighted decision-model to a specific type of technology and a specific use case is proposed. The feasibility and utility of the proposed framework are demonstrated by applying the framework to a NetFlow use case. If NetFlow data is to be used for analytical decision-making, the data must be stored long-term. NoSQL databases have increased in popularity, especially in decision-making contexts. Therefore, NoSQL is a logical storage choice. However, which NoSQL family to use is not self-evident. Therefore, the decision-maker may require assistance to make the right decision. To assist with this decision, the framework was adapted to be used in the NoSQL context. A set of criteria was developed to allow various NoSQL options to be uniformly compared. Furthermore, the four NoSQL families were graded based on this set of criteria. After adaptation, experts provided input regarding the requirements of the NetFlow use case. This resulted in the weighting of the criteria for this specific use case. Finally, a weighted score was calculated for each family. For the NetFlow use case, the model suggests that a document-based NoSQL database be used. The framework ensures that all NoSQL technologies are systematically investigated, thereby reducing the effect of biases. Thus, the problem identified in this study is addressed. The proposed model can also serve as a foundation for future research
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  • Date Issued: 2018

A framework for the integration of mobile technology into adventure sport for the purpose of increasing participant safety

  • Authors: Mills, Craig John
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Mobile communication systems , Health promotion -- Technological innovations Sports -- Technological innovations Cell phones -- Health aspects
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MIT
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/32099 , vital:31958
  • Description: The sporting industry has seen incredible advancements with the use of information technology. Technology is used in the sporting industry for training, coaching and even as a deciding factor of a game result. There are certain sports which require individuals to venture into isolated environments, these sports have been termed adventure or extreme sports. Due to the extreme environmental factors that can occur with adventure sport, it is possible for an individual to experience an emergency situation. Emergency situations can occur at any time, and this is especially true in adventure sport. Adventure sport such as ocean and river kayaking require individuals to venture into isolated environments, where if an emergency situation occurs could result in an individual left stranded waiting for emergency rescue. Adventure sport participants and Event Organizers are aware of the dangers associated with this type of adventure sport, but there is currently no requirement to have a mobile technology device present during kayaking events. The main purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the current use of mobile technology in adventure sport in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. To accomplish this two literature reviews were conducted which identi_ed information on the two main themes which are adventure sport and mobile technology. To produce information from the ocean and river kayaking community an online questionnaire was distributed to several kayaking clubs in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. This dissertation also presents a framework that proposes the use of mobile technology hardware and software by participants and event organisers in an attempt to increase the safety of events in this form of adventure sport. It is hoped that the framework for using mobile technology to increase the safety of adventure sport proposed in this research, may provide clear guidance for the achievement of a safer sporting experience for the participants of ocean and river kayaking.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2018
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